Erie, PA. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford women's volleyball team began their AMCC conference slate on Tuesday night with a trip to Penn State-Behrend. The Panthers struggled early and eventually lost the match in straight sets.
The Panthers fell behind early in sets one and two, losing them 25-16 and 25-20. In the third, they built an early lead, but could not hold on, falling 25-23, bringing the match to an end.
The hosts scored the first three points of the match, but the Panthers battled right back to tie the score. After a service error, Alycia Wilson and Brookelyn Bellavia put down consecutive kills to tie things up. The Panthers could not hold onto the momentum, as the Lions broke the streak and then went on to score 9 of 10 points to open up a 13-4 lead. Trailing 8-16, the Panthers rolled off 5 straight points. Wilson started the rally and then after back-to-back kills from Emma King, Danielle Sasuga recorded an ace, cutting the lead to 4. Penn State-Behrend stopped the rally and then finished the set with a 9-3 run.
Pitt-Bradford led early in set two, combining Lion errors with kills from Wilson, Bellavia, and Ryley Pago to lead 10-8 midway through the set. The two teams went on to exchange lengthy scoring runs for the remainder of the set. The hosts struck first, scoring 7 in a row, but the Panthers responded with 5 straight to tie the set at 15. Following two side-outs, the Lions retook the lead with 6 consecutive. The Panthers rallied late through back-to-back kills by Jenna Louser, but it would not be enough as the Panthers lost the set 25-20.
Needing a win to extend the match, the Panthers started the third set strong, scoring the first 4 points of the set through errors. Leading 9-6, Pitt-Bradford exploded with Baylee Fitzsimmons at the service line. Pago started the run with a kill and then after two aces from Fitzsimmons, Ruby Smith pushed the lead to 7 with a kill. The Panthers lost momentum shortly after, and the hosts were able to slowly chip away at the lead, eventually cutting the lead to 1 point. They went back ahead with a 4-point rally and then exchanged side-outs for the last four points of the match.
The Panthers used a balanced offensive attack in the game. Four different hitters registered four kills, while Ruby Smith led the team with five. Emma King, Ryley Pago, Jenna Louser, and Alycia Wilson finished with four. King had the most efficient performance, needing just 6 swings to record her kills. Alexah Martinez finished the match with 13 assists and also added 8 digs. Danielle Sasuga led the defensive effort with 11 digs.
The Panthers fall to 3-14 on the season with a 0-1 record in conference play. They will be back on the road over the weekend, as they travel to Pittsburgh for another AMCC clash with LaRoche. The match is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.
